Stay fit in the workforce with JOG

Finding a new job is a job in itself. And just like work the search can bog a person down after awhile, which can add to the stress of the entire process.

Add in the fact that many job seekers are now turning to the Internet to find a job, keeping them glued to their desk, in their house and isolated from the outside world.

These factors have the potential to lead job seekers to become stressed out, depressed, and forgetting about the positive assets and skills they bring to the working world.

This is one of the reasons Jed Lindholm, a parishioner of Sterling First Church, is encouraging workers to attend Job Opportunity Group meetings.

“You have to get outside of your house for your well-being too,” said Lindholm. “When you are online at home, you run the risk of eternalizing everything.

“It helps keep you motivated, knowing that there are people around you going through the same thing you are,” he said.

The JOG meets bi-monthly, on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. This is the second wave for the group, which was started in January of 2009.

“There were six of us church members who got laid off or were between employment. John [Wright- Gray, senior paster at First Church] suggested we start a networking group,” said Lindholm. “The group rose, then it shrunk. It lasted into the summer of 2009, then kind of dissolved.

“Now we are at a point where we recognize three or four members of the church are in need of employment,” he said.

Lindholm was one of those unemployed members from the original group, and working in the human resources field, he understood the importance of networking, practicing interviewing, and recognizing job skills.

He views the group as a great way for people to “stay fit” in their employment. Even if someone is already employed, Lindholm encourages being a part of this group, to constantly work on increasing skills.

The group spans a wide age demographic, according to Lindholm, and he encourages new graduates and elderly people who need to get back into the workforce to attend the meetings.

“It really is for people at any place in their career, if they are looking for professional perspective, reflection in their career, as well as some good support, this is a good group to check out,” he said.

The group also offers connections to people outside of one’s normal social life, which offers both new connections to jobs and new connections to support.

Although websites such as Monster and Craigslist have really launched the online job search, Lindholm said it is important to only make this one component of the job search.

“You will never find a job without talking to people,” said Lindholm. “Finding a job is a human activity, it really comes down to making connections with people.”

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 13. Time and location of meetings vary. For more information, contact 978-422-6657.